Mondrian Shoreditch London Hotel: Celebrates vibrant culture, art and history
The sixth addition to the Mondrian portfolio combines art, history, and culture into an all-encompassing guest experience that’s both immersive and delightfully theatrical.
By Home & Decor Team -
Opened in summer earlier this year, Mondrian Shoreditch London is the latest to be unveiled in the Mondrian portfolio of hotels. Designed by award-winning interior and hospitality design studio Goddard Littlefair, this latest addition is decked out in upbeat, vibrant colours, adorned with expressive art installations and statement lighting – creating an unforgettable design statement right from the moment guests walk in the door.
True to the Mondrian brand, the hotel reflects the rich history and colourful social fabric of the local area. Much of the inspiration for the design comes from art and literature on the region, including the well-known rhyme “Oranges and Lemons” – which isn’t just about the churches in the neighbourhood, but the larger East London area of the past.
“The longer version of the rhyme paints a wonderful picture of the city in the 16th and 17th Century. The influence can be interpreted into the design of the interior in many different elements from lighting to materiality,” says Jo Littlefair, the co-founder and director Goddard Littlefair.
Playful expression is abundant in every part of the hotel. Art pieces line the reception and lobby, including a circular neon art piece and gilded glass panels that depict a rising sun. As homage to artist Yayoi Kusama, Goddard Littlefair also created a fully mirrored room where guests see infinite versions of themselves, a tongue-in-cheek design touch that invites people to examine the self in the moment.
Although the visual accents are aplenty, they don’t overwhelm: the design incorporates a backdrop of earthy neutrals and soft fabrics in sage grey and dusky blue, soothing the senses and inviting rest.
There are plenty of communal areas to hang out in, which transform from bars and restaurants by night to meeting and working spaces by day. Each is more stylish and distinctive than the last, but also link to one another with a common narrative depicting the history of East London.
At Christina’s, the ground floor café bar, an arched copper bar and large hand-painted mural by artist Fred Coppin dominate the double-height space. These are accented by pendant light fittings designed as a reinterpretation of the gasoline lanterns that used to be London’s street lights.
The rooftop bar Altitude at the Curtain provides a cosy yet vibrant atmosphere with its oversized rattan pendants, cane furniture, and abundance of greenery. The plants, curated by local planting company Conservatory Archives, lend bright cheer during the day and privacy in the evenings between groups of diners. Here you’ll find another mural, this time painted by Lucy Robinson, who led the interior design team for the project.
“The mural is inspired by the bold shapes found in Californian street art that has a simile to contemporary UK street art, utilising mixed pastel colours to enhance the tones that appear in the upholstery fabrics, handmade ceramic tiles and the original floor,” she says.
“The brief to ‘subtly represent botanicals’ uses colour and abstracted petal, stem and leaf shapes to provide a backdrop to the bespoke drinks list and Californian cuisine.”
The hotel’s also home to the UK’s first BiBo restaurant, which serves up Spanish tapas under the direction of three-Michelin-starred chef Dani García. Drawing influence from his culinary legacy, as well as BiBo’s own distinct brand identity, Goddard Littlefair put together a bold, delightfully imaginative space that’s almost magical in its theatricality.
Using a backdrop of light oak floors, rose-coloured handmade tiles, and limed oak joinery, the studio introduced dramatic elements like a cascade of globe lights and schools of ceramic fish by Scabetti that swim overhead as diners gather below.
At the central island bar, all eyes are drawn to the mirrored raft that hangs suspended from the ceiling, housed within a copper rod structure. Both art installation and liquor display, the piece is a nod to the hot air balloon which features in other BiBo restaurants around the world.
No space is left out – even the small courtyard has been designed to feel like a slice of Spanish paradise with its bold red walls and overhanging greenery. With such attention to detail, the hotel makes a spectacular design statement and is a true reflection of the cosmopolitan Mondrian brand.
For more information, please visit www.sbe.com/hotels/mondrian/shoreditch.